WHAT TO EXPECT IN OUR CHURCH
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If you are looking for a church home or are exploring faith questions, we invite you to join us on Sunday mornings. Come and get to know us, find out what we do and why we do it, participate in what you feel comfortable doing.
To help you feel more comfortable the first time you visit is, here are a few Frequently Asked Questions that we hope will give you a sense of who we are. Where is the church? How do I get there? |
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We’re located at the intersection of Springwater and Wallens Roads in beautiful, rural Estacada, Oregon. Wallens Road intersects with highway 211 3 miles south of Estacada, on the way to Colton. Click here to get to a Google map. There is ample parking when you enter from Wallens Road and drive through the Grange parking lot to our lot.
What time is church?
If you arrive and everyone is singing, chances are you’re not late, it’s just that we’re still engaged in our pre-service time of song requests. Worship is at 10:30 on Sunday, but we like to sing, so we start the requests at 10:15. Our musical tastes reflect our generational diversity and span sacred music from the 16th century to the 21st.
What do people wear?
Short answer: clothes. Beyond that, people come to church in everything from overalls to neckties, T-shirts to dresses. We’re not picky. That you are with us in worship is more important than how you’re dressed. The Bibles says that “God looks on the heart, not on outward appearances,” and we try to follow that model. We welcome all whose hearts are open to meeting the living God to join us.
Is it all old people, or are kids welcome?
Our congregation spans four generations. We believe our worship services are kid-friendly enough that children remain in worship with us. Many children and teens participate in worship leadership. If, however, your toddler is giving you fits, and you’d rather worship without having to worry about behavior issues, we’ve got ready and willing volunteers to provide child care in our indoor play area.
What is the worship service like?
We believe that God meets us in many ways and in many places, but that God meets us in a special way when God’s people come together in worship. We also believe that something powerful and important happens when God’s people make themselves available in worship.
Springwater’s worship services use singing, praying, talking, laughing, quiet, and sometimes even weeping. We are Presbyterian, and since the 16th Century, Presbyterians have placed a particular value on the Bible—the Bible read, explored, questioned, preached, the Bible revealing to us God’s will for the world. Therefore, you won’t be surprised to learn that sermons are an important part of our worship services. But there’s more than one way to preach a sermon, and not all those ways include a “talking head” experience. Come on Sunday and find out what we mean.
Some Sundays we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Communion) or the sacrament of baptism. Once a year, we offer the opportunity to renew our own baptismal promises. In the fall, we usually have a Blessing of the Animals service. Other times we might have a service with special prayers for healing or a service of just singing. We enjoy hearing the faith experience stories of our members, and will often incorporate that into a worship service. Visual arts are used frequently to enhance our understanding of God’s Word preached.
Anything else happening on Sunday?
Usually there is, yes. Of course, immediately following worship, we share cookies and coffee or juice. This is what is called in Church Speak, “fellowship.” We catch up on each other’s lives, find out about you, and generally extend the hand of friendship to those who have been in worship with us. We’re pretty casual in our style, but we are serious about our faith in Jesus. We know it’s hard to be faithful followers of Jesus, and that building a strong community helps us to be so.
Some Sundays we have an educational experience after worship or engage in a service project together. Other Sundays we might have a potluck. Or someone has brought a pot of soup and a loaf of bread and folks stick around to share it and have a committee meeting. It’s all part of building community and being God’s people together.
How do you assist people with special needs?
We have assistive listening devices available for people who need a little help with hearing. Large-print bulletins and songs are available as well. There is an ADA-compliant ramp and entrance to our building and grab bars in the restroom.
What time is church?
If you arrive and everyone is singing, chances are you’re not late, it’s just that we’re still engaged in our pre-service time of song requests. Worship is at 10:30 on Sunday, but we like to sing, so we start the requests at 10:15. Our musical tastes reflect our generational diversity and span sacred music from the 16th century to the 21st.
What do people wear?
Short answer: clothes. Beyond that, people come to church in everything from overalls to neckties, T-shirts to dresses. We’re not picky. That you are with us in worship is more important than how you’re dressed. The Bibles says that “God looks on the heart, not on outward appearances,” and we try to follow that model. We welcome all whose hearts are open to meeting the living God to join us.
Is it all old people, or are kids welcome?
Our congregation spans four generations. We believe our worship services are kid-friendly enough that children remain in worship with us. Many children and teens participate in worship leadership. If, however, your toddler is giving you fits, and you’d rather worship without having to worry about behavior issues, we’ve got ready and willing volunteers to provide child care in our indoor play area.
What is the worship service like?
We believe that God meets us in many ways and in many places, but that God meets us in a special way when God’s people come together in worship. We also believe that something powerful and important happens when God’s people make themselves available in worship.
Springwater’s worship services use singing, praying, talking, laughing, quiet, and sometimes even weeping. We are Presbyterian, and since the 16th Century, Presbyterians have placed a particular value on the Bible—the Bible read, explored, questioned, preached, the Bible revealing to us God’s will for the world. Therefore, you won’t be surprised to learn that sermons are an important part of our worship services. But there’s more than one way to preach a sermon, and not all those ways include a “talking head” experience. Come on Sunday and find out what we mean.
Some Sundays we celebrate the Lord’s Supper (Communion) or the sacrament of baptism. Once a year, we offer the opportunity to renew our own baptismal promises. In the fall, we usually have a Blessing of the Animals service. Other times we might have a service with special prayers for healing or a service of just singing. We enjoy hearing the faith experience stories of our members, and will often incorporate that into a worship service. Visual arts are used frequently to enhance our understanding of God’s Word preached.
Anything else happening on Sunday?
Usually there is, yes. Of course, immediately following worship, we share cookies and coffee or juice. This is what is called in Church Speak, “fellowship.” We catch up on each other’s lives, find out about you, and generally extend the hand of friendship to those who have been in worship with us. We’re pretty casual in our style, but we are serious about our faith in Jesus. We know it’s hard to be faithful followers of Jesus, and that building a strong community helps us to be so.
Some Sundays we have an educational experience after worship or engage in a service project together. Other Sundays we might have a potluck. Or someone has brought a pot of soup and a loaf of bread and folks stick around to share it and have a committee meeting. It’s all part of building community and being God’s people together.
How do you assist people with special needs?
We have assistive listening devices available for people who need a little help with hearing. Large-print bulletins and songs are available as well. There is an ADA-compliant ramp and entrance to our building and grab bars in the restroom.
